This invention relates to popcorn poppers and more specifically to open or pass through poppers.
In the past, particularly with commercial or industrial capacity popcorn poppers used, for example, in theaters or other facilities where large quantities of popcorn are popped in sequential large batches and sold, it is common to install a large capacity popper in a custom installation with appropriate effluent ducting and fire suppression systems interconnected to the popper to meet a variety of codes and safety requirements.
Local and state building codes in the United States and elsewhere in the world require ventilation hoods over cooking equipment that produce grease laden vapors. Regulation, specification and code producing agencies in the United States include the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA), the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) (see 202 Test Standards).
Large popcorn machines, typically found in movie theaters, are occasionally classified by local and state building inspectors as cooking equipment capable of producing sufficient grease laden vapors to require a ventilation hood. Sometimes in the United States, these are referred to as “Class 1” devices, requiring a hood with external discharge through ducting, a fire suppression system and outside make-up air.
Other systems or devices where a hood may exhaust into the area or space where the cooker is located are referred to as “Class 2” devices, but in these the hoods are not integrated into the cookers or devices.
While design and installation of a popper and its associated ducting, hoods and fire suppression systems can be accomplished easily in new facilities, the popcorn operation poses certain difficulties and expenses in new facilities and these problems are even worse in remodeling or attempted relocation or retrofitting of poppers in existing facilities. Such problems exist for both such “Class 1” and “Class 2” systems.
A typical ventilation system for a “Class 1” device includes an exhaust hood or canopy, ductwork, fan system, and a means of providing adequate makeup air as the “contaminated” air is exhausted from the building. There is a significant construction cost associated with this type of system for new construction and particularly for remodel projects where ductwork must penetrate existing structures.
For example, where such poppers produce significant amounts of steam or oil vapors, laden with solid articulates, which must be vented or captured, the installation of such a popper requires hood or ducting work which, in a large building, could add cost in the range of $70,000 or more to accommodate the popper. This cost applies not only to new installations, but to retrofits or remodeling. And where any retrofit or remodeling involves relocation of a popper or popper location, significant extra costs are incurred by the necessary ducting and fire suppression systems required by codes.
Moreover, when the popper is of the “pass-through” or “open” variety, where the chamber receiving popped corn directly from the kettle is open, for access from both sides, for example, and has no containing side wall, treatment of the oil and steam vapors and vapor borne solid particulates within such widely open cabinets is even more problematical.
An alternate approach is to employ a recirculating system where the contaminated air is captured, filtered and returned to the room or environment surrounding the popper (such as in a “Class 2” type device). Current UL/ANSI regulations define design requirements, test procedures and offer a listing service for those products under category “KNLZ”.
Such regulations cover cooking equipment for commercial use, such as pressurized deep fat fryers and other appliances for use in commercial kitchens, restaurants or other business establishments where food is prepared. Each appliance covered in this category has an integral recirculating air system to limit the emission of grease-laden air from the cooking process to the room ambient within the limit of 5 mg/m3. Hood location, structure and placement is of concern and must be dealt with in coordination with popper installation.
Nevertheless, popcorn poppers of high capacity for commercial installations typically generate more oil and steam-laden vapors and solid particulates, including smoke, than can be handled by known recirculating or self-contained popping systems. Such current high capacity poppers have thus required hooding and/or external ducting to comply with present codes.
Accordingly, it is desired to provide a large capacity popcorn popper, preferably of the open or pass-through configuration, which is wholly self-contained without any need for extraneous duct work or hoods, which can be placed at any location in a facility without regard to new or existing duct work, and yet which contains and captures oil and steam vapors and vapor borne solid particulates with an efficiency well within the various applicable codes, and which has a self-contained fire suppression system, also within applicable fire codes.
It is one objective of the invention to provide a popcorn popper having a production capability sufficient for a commercial installation such as in a theater, and which can be operated within applicable safety and building codes but without conducting oil and steam vapor or vapor borne solid particulates externally of the popper.
It is a further objective of the invention to provide an improved, large capacity popcorn popper which is self-contained and can be operated without external ducting for oil and steam vapor and vapor borne solid particulates, heretofore required for such capacity poppers in similar installations.
A yet further objective of the invention is to provide a large capacity popcorn popper for use in retrofitting or remodeling a commercial facility, such as a theater, without interconnection of such popper to any external duct work from said popper.
A yet further objective of the invention has been to provide an improved popcorn popper to facilitate installation of popcorn poppers in new and remodeled commercial facilities independently and separately of any exhaust ducting.
A further objective of the invention has been to provide an improved self-contained popcorn popper capable of internally separating from any effluent therefrom, such oil, vapor or vapor borne particulates as would violate applicable building or safety codes.
A further objective of the invention has been to provide an improved popcorn popper with improved filtration of vapor and particulate emissions.
A further objective of the invention has been to provide a high capacity popcorn popper without requiring external ducting nor separate hooding with exhaust into surrounding areas.
A further objective of the invention has been to provide a self-contained, high-capacity popcorn popper which discharges effluent into the area surrounding the popper but with less than 5 milligrams of particulate per cubic meter of effluent discharged.
Prior to the invention, there were difficulties in meeting these objectives.
In a pass-through high capacity popper, there are large open access areas on both sides in and to the bin or storage area where warm popped corn is stored. Effluents issuing from the kettle and the bin must be captured before escaping into the surrounding environment, but with the open pass-through configuration, it is difficult to meet strict discharge standards such as no more than 5 mg per cubic meter (5 mg/m3) of particulates in the overall effluent discharged from the operation.
There are variations in the rate and pattern of discharged or untreated effluents from the operational stages of popping, dumping, storage and retrieval of popcorn. Some of these stages are attended by more rapid excess of steam and vapor, such as when the kettle lid is forced open by the popping popcorn, or when the popcorn is dumped from the kettle to bin, than a slower exit of steam and vapor from other operational stages. Moreover, varied effluent patterns and vortices occur during the operational processes. It is difficult to effectively capture and treat significantly all effluent from such varied operational stages and events.
There is a complex relationship between the nature of effluent, including volume, particulate size and total particulate capture on the one hand and reasonable filtration life and maintenance on the other. Too much air flow capacity can overdrive the effluent, driving otherwise filterable particulates through a filter for that particulate stage, prematurely, or can clog a filter system. Insufficient flow capacity may be insufficient to capture and entrain effluent from the open areas or sides of the popper during major effluent discharging events.
There are difficulties in overall design of a large capacity popper capable of both new and remodel installation, while providing self-contained effluent treatment without external ducting in both applications.
The provision of a fully self-contained popper without external effluent ducting raises fire suppression concerns in the areas of the kettle, popcorn storage area or bin, popping oil storage area and with the self-contained effluent treatment areas.
A further objective of the invention has been to provide a large capacity popcorn popper having “pass-through” or open side access to the popping area, yet having a fully self-contained vapor and particulate handling apparatus allowing use of the popper at full capacity without external ducting of vapor or particulate effluent.